Package and method of making the same



Oct. 30, 1928. 1,689,430

G. w. GWINN PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 30, 1928. 1,689,430

G.'w. GWINN PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- GEORGE GWINN, OF HEWLETT, NEW YORK, A SSIGNOR TO AMERICAN MACHINE &

FOUNDRY OOMIANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application filed April 26,

This invention relates to an improved package and method of making the same. In wrapping packages of cylindrical form and packages partly cylindrical in form, it has been customary to apply the wrapper about the body of the article and to overlap and seal the ends of the wrapper over the ends of the article. In order to produce packages presenting a better appearance, the present method contemplates the application of an underlying wrapper smoothly overlying one end of the article and overlying in pleats a portion of the body of the article, and a covering wrapper overlying a portion of the pleated portion of the underlying wrapper. Where the article is to be completely covered to form a package, two underlying wrappers are used, each smoothly overlying one end of said article and each overlyin in pleats a, portion of the body of the artic e, and the covering wrapper overlies a portion of the pleated portion of each underlyin wrapper. The overlying wrapper may o f coursebe a label bearing printed 25 matter. In such a package, there is but a 7 single layer of the wrapping material smoothly overlying one or more ends of the article. The main object of the present invention is the production of a package of the type indicated, and a method of making the same. With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in acertain package and in a certain sequence of steps used in making the same. y

In the accompanying drawings, in'which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts, Figs. 1 to 13 illustrate the successive stages in making a cylindrical package in accordance with the improved method; Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate the method as applied to the wrapping of bottles or similar containers; and Figs. 16 to 22 illustrate the appearance of various packages wrapped by the improved method. 7

In carrying the invention into efiect, there is provided a package comprising an article, an underlying wrapper smoothly overlying one end of said article and overlying in pleats a portion of the body of said article, and a covering wrapper overlying a portion of the pleated portion of the underlying wrapper. And the method of making the package consists in first applying an under- 1927. SerialNo. 186,659.

lying wrapper smoothly to one end of an article to be wrapped, then forming pleats in the remainder of said wrapper about the body of said article, and then applying a covering wrapper over a portion of the pleated portion of the underlyingwrapper.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 13, the package 25, which may include a single cylindrical article or a number of flat articles assembled in substantially cylindrical form, is held in a support 26, such as one of the arms of a rotatin turret to which the articles are fed. While 1n this position, Figs. land 2, two blanks 27 of wrapping material, which may be advanced from a magazine or fed from a reel and cut to size as needed, are .pressed against the ends of the article as by disks 28 carried on the ends of shafts 29 on the cylindrical axis of thearticle, When the disks 2828 press the wrappers 2727 against the ends of the article 25, the will support it, and the support 26 may e removed. Each wrapper 27, while shown in circular shape in Fig. 2, may be cut ofi? square or in any other suitable shape. The circular form is required only when the folded edges of the wrappersare to reach a uniform distance around the body of a circular article. With a squarewrapper, there .are four points of maximum reach which give additional holding power to the seal, so that the remainder may be narrow, thereby effecting a saving in wrapping material besides simreel fed wrappers.

That portion of the wrappers not in contact with the ends of the article 25 are then folded into pleats as by slotted shells 30- 30, which are pushed toward each other, as

shown in Fig. 3, to .form pleats as shown in Fig. 4. ,Next, the shells 30 -30 are turned, while the shafts 29-29 are held stationary, Figs. 5, 6 and 7. This turning movement of the shells results in folding the pleats 31 down on'the body of the article. The operation just described may be reversed by holding the shells 3030 stationary and rotating the article with the wrappers by rotating the shafts 2929. given a retreating movement of suflicient amplitude to expose the inner ends of the folded pleats, but still remain in engagement with the same, so that they may be held in place, Figs. 8 and9. During their retreat- Next, the shells 30-30 arevplifyin'g the cutting mechanism in case of ing movement the shells 30-30 may be kept rotating to prevent lateral displacement of the pleats.

The exposed ends of the pleats 31 are then sealed by an overlying Wrapper or label 32 around the body of the article and over a portion of the'pleated portion of each of the underlying wrappers; and this may be done b means of the rollers 33, Figs. 10 and 11. The overlying wrapper may be pasted to the underlying Wrappers throughout its length, or merely the overlapping edges of the overlying wrapper may be pasted together. When the seal is thus completed, the shells 30-30 are moved back clear of the'package, Figs. 12 and 13, and the latter With its wrapping completed is released by releasing the disks 28-28.

In case of an article having a conical or other non-cylindrical format one or both ends, the respective pleat forming shells are made of such shape as to coincide, either approximately or closely, with the contour of the article, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the top of the bottle 34 in the former being wrapped by means of a conical folding shell 35, and in the latter by the neck-shaped folding shell 36. v

The rotation of the shells 30 when folding down the pleats 31 may both be in the same direction, as shown in Fig. 5; or they may rotate in opposite directions. In the former case, the finished package appears as in Fig. 16, with the pleats 31 arranged symmetrically on each side of the label 32; while in the latter case, the pleats 31 appear to form continuous spirals, as in Fig. 17

Accordin to the nature of the article to be Wrappe and to the material used in wrapping, the end caps 37 formed by the folded underlying wrappers may be made to extend only a short length over each end of the body of the article, as in the packages shown in Figs. 16 and 17 or they may meet in the middle of the package, as in Fig. 18; or they may overlap as in Fig. 19, which shows a short cylindrlcal package set on end.

may be applied and sealed by a label 32, as

in Fig. 20; or both a neck-cap 38 and a bottom-cap 39 may be used, as in Fig. 21.

Figs. 20 and 21 show conical neck-caps as produced by the shell 35 shown in Fig. 14, and Fig. 22 shows a form fitting cap 40, as obtained when using the neck-shaped shell 36 shown in Fig. 15.

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising an article, an underlying wrapper smoothly overlying one end of said article and overlying in a circular series of closely arranged pleats a portion of the body of said article, and a covering wrapper overlying a portion of the pleated portion of the underlying wrapper.

2. A package comprising an article, two underlying wrappers each smoothly overlying one end of said article and each overlying in a circular series of closely arranged pleats a portion of the body of saidarticle, and a covering wrapper overlying a portion of the pleated portion of each underlying wrapper.

3. The method of packaging an article, which'consists in applying an underlying wrapper smoothly to one end of said article, then forming'a circular series of closely arranged pleats and folding them down on the body of said article, then applying a covering wrapper over a portion of the pleated portion of the underlying wrapper.

4. The method of packaging an article, which consists in applying an underlying Wrapper smoothly to each end of said article, then forming circular series of closely arranged pleats and folding them down on the body of said article, then applying a covering Wrapper over a portion of the pleated portion of each underlying wrapper.

5; The method of packaging an article, Which consists in applying an underlying wrapper smoothly to one end of said article, then forming a circular series ofclosely arranged pleats in the remainder of said Wrapper about the body of said article and folding them down on the body of said article, and then applying a covering wrapper over a portion of the pleated portion of the underlying- Wrapper.

6. The method of packaging an article, which consists in applying an underlying wrapper smoothly to each end of said article,

then forming a circular series of closely ar ranged pleats in the remainder of each wrapper about the body of said article and folding them down on the body of said article, and then applying a covering wrapper over a portion of the pleated portion of each underlying wrapper.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE W. GWINN. 

